


The soul of an old machine

by Rainbowfootsteps



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon Era, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Its more like, M/M, Violence, and also mchanzo, mainly brother bonding, most of the overwatch cast is there, shimadas being dramatic, this fic is not!!! mainly focused on the ship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-12-11 11:02:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11713059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainbowfootsteps/pseuds/Rainbowfootsteps
Summary: Everybody was surprised when Hanzo turned up at Overwatch, seemingly willing to confront Genji and his past demons. But on what should be a normal mission, everything goes wrong and Genji is captured by Talon. In the aftermath, Hanzo must struggle to gain the trust of the other Overwatch members in order to save Genji from his prison in plain sight.





	1. The Mission

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys!!! Who's ready for a fun new Overwatch fic? I sure as heck am! I'd just like to note - while this first chapter is from Genji's POV, I intend for most of the fic to be from Hanzo's POV. <3 I hope you enjoy reading this!

“You do not need to walk quietly, my student.” 

Zenyatta’s lilting voice floated through the empty room. His floating form faced away from Genji, towards the gentle waves that lapped continuously at Gibraltar’s coast outside. 

“I did not want to disturb your meditation.” Genji replied. Zenyatta didn’t move.

“To come to me during my time of rest you must have something important to say.” He replied. Taking this as an invitation, Genji walked the rest of the distance to his master. Zenyatta floated low, almost touching the floor. Genji sat down beside him. His legs were crossed, as if meditating. After his years at the monastery, the posture instantly calmed him. Somewhat.

“I have a mission today.”

“And you are going with Hanzo.” Zenyatta said. Genji nodded. His gut twisted at the very thought. Of course, he no longer harboured hatred towards his brother thanks to Zenyatta. But worry remained. The Hanzo he was faced with wasn’t the one he’d grown up with; the rugged wanderer was cold and volatile, keeping his distance at all times. It was a wonder he’d even turned up to join Overwatch a month ago.

Through the floor-to-ceiling window in front of him, twilight was creeping over the horizon..

“I harbour no hate towards him for what he has done. I fear that he still does.” Genji replied. “Hanzo has never forgiven easily. Forgiving himself for his actions will be a long, painful journey. My worry is that on our mission, he will be… I mean, it’s silly, and I don’t know how to describe it…”

“Selfless to the point of self-destruction?”

“Yes, exactly.” Genji glanced away from the rising sun to look into Zenyatta’s mechanical eyes. Zenyatta stared back, his serene stare piercing through Genji’s visor.

“What is there to learn from worry of the future? Surely you cannot truly know until the excursion.”

“I suppose…”

“True knowledge is knowing your ignorance, Genji. The future will always be clouded until it becomes the present, so I think your time is better spent preparing for what lies ahead rather than worrying about it.” Zenyatta said gently. Genji stood up. 

“And Genji - would Hanzo come to Overwatch, seek you out, only to willfully get himself killed?” Zenyatta said. Beneath his metal visor, Genji smiled.

“I suppose not. Thank you, master.” He turned towards the door. Behind it was the mission, was facing Hanzo, was every possible direction the future could take. He strode confidently towards it.

He had woken early and his conversation with Zenyatta had not taken long. As he walked down the watchpoint’s dark corridors, he was alone. He could hear sounds of life, however. His senses, completely transformed by his cybernetic parts, were almost painfully sensitive. While he had learned to dampen the feeling, he sometimes liked to revel in the feeling of hearing, feeling, smelling everything. It almost made up for his inability to taste.

Down the corridor, Hana was playing video games. The chiptune music was aggravating, so he walked the other way. Again a cornucopia of noise was presented to him - Jesse was snoring loudly, Winston was talking to Athena, Lúcio was listening to something that strongly disagreed with Genji’s music tastes. Turning his head ever so slightly to the left caused a barrage of conversation to hit him from the main meeting room.

_“I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”_

_“Jack, I understand your concerns, but -”_

_“No, you don’t, Winston. What happened last time we let angered strangers join our ranks?”_

_“Well, I-”_

_“They became Blackwatch. And we all know how well that went.”_

Genji forced his hearing sensitivity to lessen. He shook his head, trying to shake the scrap of conversation from his mind. Think of Zenyatta’s words, he told himself firmly. A gust of wind hit him and he glanced up to find himself outside, in the main courtyard. He could see the sky above him slowly lightening, but the sunrise was obscured by the building in front of him. With a powerful leap, he deftly scaled the wall in front of him.

In front of him, purple was melting with the first licks of pink as the sun rose above the sea. He sat down, admiring the view. Here was as good a place as any to meditate until the rest of the watchpoint woke.

He did not have to wait long.

It felt like almost as soon as he closed his eyes, the signs of life began. First was Lena, on her early jog.

“Morning, Genji!” She yelled up, waving her hand frantically. Genji waved back, and got to his feet. 

“Breakfast yet?” He called down.

“Soon! Better get there soon if you want any bacon - Jesse woke up on time for once!” Lena yelled back. Genji nodded in recognition, and leapt down from the flat roof. 

As he walked back into the watchpoint, he watched with fondness as its members awakened. Angela passed him, a bundle of papers in her hands, and he waved. She sent him a harried smile and bustled past. In the mess hall, Jesse was already sitting at a table, his plate piled high with the least healthy options on the menu. Hana and Lúcio sat together, completely absorbed by the small gaming consoles in their hands. Genji trotted over to the food dispenser, and waved a greeting to Athena’s small blue icon.

“Good morning, Athena.” He said, selecting what he wanted from the menu. 

“Good morning, Genji. You have a mission at 0900 today, and a debriefing at 1700.” She replied.

“Thank you, I am aware.” The food dispenser made a worrying grating sound, then a hatch opened with a cup inside. Genji gratefully took the hot mug of green tea, thanked Athena again, and sat down next to Jesse.

“You’re awake early.” He commented. Jesse looked sideways at him, head still occupied with scarfing down a piece of bacon. It was odd to see him not wearing his serape and hat - instead Jesse just wore a beige plaid shirt and jeans.

“Filled with adrenaline for the mission, I guess.” He replied, already picking up another piece. “It’s gonna be… Aw, hell. I’ve known you too long to beat around the bush. You ain’t worried about Hanzo, are you?” 

“Thank you for your concern, but I am confident that today will go well. Hanzo was brave to approach Overwatch, and knowing him, I’m certain he’ll be completely dedicated to our success today.” Genji replied. Jesse wrinkled his nose, clearly unconvinced.

“I dunno. I just can’t trust him after what he did to you.” He muttered. Genji tilted his head in acknowledgement. Then he reached his hand up and gently took off his visor. He set it down on the table beside him and took a sip from his tea.

“See, that’s what I’m talkin’ about. You can’t even taste yer damn meals because of him! I know he’s your brother an’ all, but he ain’t no friend of mine until he’s proven himself.” Jesse said. He bristled for a moment, but after a moment his shoulders drooped.

“I’m sorry, partner. I know how much he means to you.” 

“It’s okay, Jesse. I understand your feelings.” Genji replied. He looked up from his tea around the room. “Speaking of him, has Hanzo been in here?”

“You kiddin’? He hasn’t had a single meal with anyone else since he got here.” Jesse replied. With herculean speed, he gobbled up the rest of his assorted breakfast, and stood up. 

“Ain’t much time ‘till briefing. Should probably get geared up.” He announced. He made the gesture of tipping a hat towards Genji, and started to jingle-jangle his way out of the mess hall. The familiar sound made Genji smile. 

~ ~ ~

“Alright, team. It’s a standard operation.” Winston stood at the front of the meeting room, addressing the four Overwatch agents facing him.

“Our telecommunications tapping has revealed that a few days ago, Talon stole technology from the French military in the form of a small datacube. Athena’s been tracking their movements as best she can, and she predicts the datacube will be with a small group in Moorhall, England, today.” Winston informed them.

Genji glanced at his comrades for the mission. Himself, Jesse, Lúcio and Hanzo. Evidently a stealth operation, with Lúcio as backup and Jesse as their eyes on the ground.

“Your aim for today is to - hopefully - take back the datacube with as little scuffle as possible. Hanzo and Genji, the plan is that you two will take out as many vital Talon agents as needed, while Jesse finds the datacube. Lúcio will be your backup in case it turns into a skirmish.” Bingo. He looked over his partners once again. While Lúcio and Jesse looked excited for the trip, Hanzo looked obviously uncomfortable, although he was trying to hide it with a carefully crafted neutral expression. 

“If things really go awry, Hana and Angela will be on standby for the rest of the day, so just call in if you need backup. But that should be unnecessary.” Winston said with a chuckle. “You’re a competent group. And Shimada-san -” he smiled at Hanzo - “I’m sure this is just the start of your time as an invaluable part of Overwatch.”

“Thank you.” If gratitude could be cold, Hanzo was the walking embodiment of it. After an awkward silence, Jesse got to his feet.

“Alright! Let’s get on the ship!”

It was a short walk to the ship bay, but the whole time Genji could feel palpable animosity exuding from Hanzo. As they boarded, Genji tentatively approached him.

“Brother, I look forward to working with you today.” He said. Hanzo refused to catch his eye.

“I did not expect you to join Overwatch, but I’m grateful that we can spend time together again.” Genji continued, searching hopefully for even a glimmer of acknowledgement on Hanzo’s face. All he found was bitterness.

“Stop this facade. You may call yourself my brother, but you are not the Genji I knew. Let us just finish this mission and be done with it.” Hanzo muttered.

“If that is what you think, why did you join Overwatch?” Genji gently prodded. Hanzo’s upper lip curled, but instead of hurling an insult at Genji he pointedly looked away. They were on the ship now and Genji sighed as Hanzo instantly chose the darkest, farthest corner to sit in. How long was Hanzo going to be evasive? He’d been distant from him for so long that he couldn’t even begin to guess. Maybe they weren’t the brothers the other knew.

The ship landed well outside Moorhall. When the doors opened with a hiss, the four Overwatch agents were immediately met with a brittle wind. Jesse trundled out first, firmly holding his hat on his head. The others followed, setting foot onto the sloping English countryside. They’d landed in a sheltered area, hidden by trees on three sides, but it was only a matter of time until somebody noticed their ship. Whether it was Talon or the local police, it was bad news either way. One of the downsides of being a technically illegal agency, Genji mused. They had to move fast. 

The four travelled quickly, guided by Genji’s inbuilt GPS. The fields were slowly replaced by huge industrial buildings, that towered on every side of the group. Ten minutes later and they were at their destination. The building in front of them looked abandoned; a grey old warehouse with a huge padlock barring their entry. Lúcio looked around nervously, turning down the volume of his music. 

“This place is seriously cramping my style. Hey guys, I’ll be back by that foundry on the corner if you need me.” He told them, tapping on his ear. “Call me if you need me!” 

“We’ll see you soon. Tell us if anybody enters the premises.” Genji instructed. Lúcio nodded vigorously, and started to skate away from the trio. Hanzo inspected the building closely.

“There are no entrances on this side. We should scale up to the roof.” He said. Genji nodded. 

“Will you be alright down here, Jesse?” He asked. Jesse grinned.

“Don’t worry about me! I’m sure they’ll have a way in down here.” He replied. Genji nodded and immediately ran to the nearest wall. The corrugated iron offered little grip, but a drain pipe snaking up the wall gave him enough grip to clamber up the building. He could hear the quiet rattling of Hanzo climbing up right behind him. 

The roof was angular, again constructed by rusting corrugated iron. He was acutely aware of the sound each footstep made on the unsteady metal. He wasted no time making his way towards what looked like a hole in the roof. He approached it, and couldn’t help but grin. He raised his hand to the comms device clipped to his visor.

“Jesse, I found a way in. I’ve got a perfect view of the top story, too. Looks like… three snipers at least. We were on the only blind side of the building earlier.” He said quietly. He could feel the metal shifting slightly under his feet, announcing Hanzo’s silent arrival beside him.

 _“Yeah, I noticed. Nearly gave myself away like a damn idiot.”_ Jesse said back in a hushed voice. _“I found an entry point. Idiots can’t even make sure to lock all the doors. I’ll try to be quiet, but y’all better hurry and take those varmints out before they take me out.”_

“Understood. We’re entering the premises.” Genji murmured back. He looked at Hanzo. He was drawing an arrow, eyes already locked on a target. Genji flicked a shuriken into his hand.

Thwack!

Perfect sync. Two snipers fell at once, bodies thumping to the floor. Another shuriken gashed the third’s neck open before he could even react. Genji and Hanzo immediately jumped down. Genji’s enhanced vision swept the dark room. No other signs of life. 

“Snipers down.” He informed Jesse. Hanzo stepped towards the room’s door, bow still gripped tightly. 

“Wait - we should clear the room fully first.” Genji said. Hanzo turned around, a frown on his face - but he clearly agreed with Genji as he stepped back. Two pairs of eyes swept the dark room, desperately searching for information, another way out, anything. 

There!

“The air vents.” Genji motioned towards a hatch on the roof. “We’ll be able to clear out the warehouse faster if we split up.”

“It will be pitch black.” Hanzo replied dismissively.

“I have improved sight, that’s not a problem.” Genji replied. Hanzo’s eyes rolled almost imperceptibly.

“I’m going to try and find a way down to Jesse, and you can continue on through this storey. Good luck, brother.” Genji clambered onto a nearby desk, reaching up to the metal grate. He tugged sharply and it came off, showering rust on the floor. He gently put the grate down beside him, gave Hanzo a thumbs up, and pulled himself up into the vent.

 _“Genji, there’s a lot of them down here. I can’t find that datacube without makin’ a ruckus.”_ Jesse’s voice floated through the vent.

“Ssh! I’m in the air vent, keep it down.”

_“Why’re you in the damn air vent?”_

“I’m trying to find a way to you. How well are you hidden?”

 _“Well, that’s - shit!”_ The sound of a gunshot thundered through the building. Genji swore under his breath. He scrambled through the air vent as fast as he could, silence be damned.

“Lúcio, we need you in here!” He yelled through his comms device.

 _“Got it!”_ Lúcio called back. The sound of more gunfire floated through the warehouse, as well as the sound of yells. At least his comms tracker would tell him where Jesse and Hanzo were. His eyes raced across his visor, using its retina tracking to activate it.

_Error. No data available._

What? He tried again, still crawling through the vent as fast as he could.

_Error. No data available._

The hell? He must be in some sort of dead zone. He considered letting his hypersensitivity loose, but a loud gunshot quickly changed his mind. That would be downright agonising if he was trying to listen for something as subtle as Jesse's footsteps. Fortunately, an opportunity arose as soon as he had that thought - a grate to the left of him, leading into a dark room. He kicked it open and wriggled his way out.

“Jesse?” He yelled into his comms device. His only reply was gunshots. 

Then he felt a thud on his back.

It was like an insect had latched onto him. He twirled around, trying to look over his shoulder. Whatever landed on him was just out of sight - but he felt the effects immediately. As soon as the unknown weight landed and stuck to his back, his limbs suddenly felt heavy. Just reaching up to his comms device felt like he was fighting against his own mechanical limbs.

“Hanzo… Jesse… Something’s wrong.” He stuttered. He couldn’t move his arms. Was he being hacked? 

_“Genji, what’s wrong? Where are ya?”_

_“Genji, what is your location?”_

His jaw wouldn’t work. It wouldn’t form the words he wanted, and when he tried to grunt in annoyance, it wouldn’t do that either. His senses were failing him too. His night vision was bleeding away, crushing blackness falling on him. As his body slowly shut down, he saw something move in the darkness surrounding him.

“Who’s… There?” He forced out through gritted teeth. The figure chuckled.

“Wouldn’t you like to know? Don’t worry, Sparrow, you’ll get to know me in due time.” A distorted, glitchy voice replied. The figure approached, still shrouded in darkness. Genji tried to tug an arm up, turn his head, anything -

But he was stuck. Trapped in his own cyborg body. THe figure stretched out a gloved hand, and patted him on the head.

“Buenas Noches.”

The world went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaAAAAAA such a long chapter ;w; like my previous fic, I intend to try and make the chapters longer and (hopefully) more fluid to read. Comments are always welcome! ^3^


	2. The Skirmish

“McCree, report.” Hanzo drew his bowstring back, glare focused on a Talon grunt. Thwack! The woman fell forwards with a strangled yelp. Stepping over the corpse, Hanzo perused his surroundings. He was in an overseer’s room, given a view of the ground floor from a precarious metal mezzanine. The ground storey was a mess of rusted shipping crates and shoddily thrown together defensive walls. How amateur. Although he could see plenty of Talon agents (twenty at least), Jesse’s form was nowhere to be seen.

 _“I’m still here! I need help stat! Where the hell’s Genji?”_ Jesse yelled back.

“He’s on his way down.” Hanzo said. “What is your location?”

“Ah - shit - south wall. Between a rock an’ a hard place!” Jesse’s voice cut out into static. Annoyed, Hanzo turned on his heel and strode out of the dark room. They had no hope of getting that datacube with this many agents around. Until he found Genji, he had no choice but to methodically remove them from the equation. 

Outside the overseer’s room, a metal pathway clung to the room’s edges, with periodical ladders leading both up and down. He was out in the open now - it was only a matter of time until he became the next target. 

Sweep the room. Find the targets.

Three on the elevated walkway. Hanzo crouched, letting the banister partially obscure his form. An arrow from his quiver. Muscles as taut as the bow he held.

_Twang!_

The arrow split into a thousand cobalt shards. Like being bitten again and again by a viper, the nearest Talon agent convulsed and collapsed. The two others on the walkway yelled and directed their guns towards Hanzo.

_Thwack!_

Another Talon mercenary fell. A bullet pinged off the wall beside Hanzo’s shoulder, forcing him to duck for cover. 

_“Hanzo, I’m here!”_ Lúcio yelled through his comms device. _“Sounds pretty bad from out here. Where do you need me?”_

“Get inside and find McCree!” Hanzo barked. Another bullet landed far too close to him. He pulled another arrow from his bow, rose to his feet, found his target. Bullseye.

As soon as the final agent was down, Hanzo strode out onto the walkway. The battle still raged on below, and from his new position he could finally see agent McCree’s hiding form. He was pressed against a red shipping container, flanked by Talon agents. A few lay dead. Hanzo’s eyes narrowed. Where was Genji? 

_Boom!_

The gunshots paused. On the wall farthest from Hanzo, a smoking crater had appeared in the wall. Even from here, he could hear the faint dubstep.

Now was his chance. He sprung off the walkway, catlike as he carved through the air. He landed running on a shipping container. Jesse had clearly taken the opportunity as well - he could hear the sound of six quick gunshots, followed by an agonised howl. As Hanzo launched himself off the metal surface, he drew and nocked an arrow. His enemy fell before Hanzo’s feet had even touched the ground. He landed beside Jesse, whose peacekeeper instinctively snapped to point at his face.

“Didn’t recognise ya.” Jesse lowered his gun, then looked around them. There was no alternative - they had to go out into the open. They glanced at each other in unspoken agreement. 

Hanzo ran out first, his bow already drawn. The hail of bullets was deafening, but he managed to pick off an assailant in front of him. Jesse followed close behind. 

“Where’s your brother?” Jesse yelled, mowing down a Talon agent near him. Hanzo gritted his teeth. Genji was no longer his brother. But now was not the time to be pedantic.

“I don’t know.” He yelled back. “I assume he is preoccupied.”

“Guys!” Lúcio ran up to them, arms raised to cover his head. The three paused for a moment, hid behind a shipping crate. “Man, this went sour fast, huh? Any of you guys find the datacube yet?” He asked, still bobbing slightly to his music.

“No, an’ we don’t have much time.” Jesse replied, wincing when a bullet pinged off the top of the crate. “They’re probably callin’ for reinforcements as we speak. As soon as we clear these guys out we need to find that datacube and run for the hills.” 

Hanzo nodded. The hushed conversation ended and the three peered around the sides of the crate. Seven enemies. Easy.

They were a well-oiled - if unusual - machine. At once the three leapt from their cover, spreading out across the warehouse. While Lúcio and Jesse broke off together, skirting around the edges, Hanzo clambered to the top of the crate. He immediately began firing off arrows. One embedded itself in a gunman’s skull, while another sliced through a torso. A bullet grazed Hanzo’s shoulder, but he pressed onwards, repaying the favour by punching his attacker in the jaw. He could see Lúcio and Jesse fighting together nearby. 

The fight was intense, but short. When the dust settled, the Talon agents were dead. Without a word the trio immediately fanned out, searching for the datacube.

“Genji? Dude, are you here?” Lúcio’s voice echoed as he shouted. He tried to ignore it, but there was a worried pang in Hanzo’s chest when there was no reply.

“Y’all, I found it!” Jesse yelled. Hanzo turned to see him holding up a small black cube triumphantly.

“Awesome! But, uh, where’s Genji?” Lúcio asked. Hanzo frowned.

“He went into the air vents to find a faster route. He may have become stuck.” He suggested. Jesse shook his head. 

“He’d still be able to talk to us. Maybe he got in a fight and lost.”

“Not our Genji!” Lúcio protested. He cupped his hands beside his mouth like a megaphone. “Hey! Genji! Robocop! Are you here, Metal Sonic?” 

The lone response was Lúcio’s echoes.

And a low humming noise from far away. It was quiet, but it sounded like it was approaching them. Hanzo’s frown deepened. Was that…?

“Incoming ship.” He warned. Jesse swore under his breath, flicking on his comms device.

“Genji, this is yer’ last chance to contact us. Are you here?”

Static.

“It’s getting closer!” Lúcio butted in. Jesse’s hand curled into a fist.

“Shit, we’ve gotta get out of here. Genji ain’t stupid, he can fend for himself for a little while. Come on, let’s go. Lúcio, boost us out of here.” He demanded. Lúcio clearly looked reluctant, but obediently changed his music to an energetic tune. Hanzo immediately felt buzzed, like he was a little tipsy and bursting with adrenaline. As the three ran out of the lifeless warehouse, it felt as if Hanzo’s feet barely touched the ground while he ran. 

The growl of the ship’s engine grew louder and louder behind them. Hanzo risked a look behind him. The ship was sleek, like a fighter jet, but twice the size. It hovered over the warehouse ominously. He ran faster.

As soon as they reached their ship, Jesse ran to the control panel.

“Athena, take us up! And get Winston on the line.” He demanded, breath coming in quick huffs. The aircraft immediately rumbled to life, almost making Hanzo fall over. The moment Lúcio had turned off his rousing music, the exhaustion of their run had hit him. It felt like all the tiredness he should have experienced had been bottled up, and was only now being unleashed on his muscles.

 _“Jesse? How did it go?”_ A holo-screen appeared above one of the ship’s tables, showing Winston’s face. His voice was slightly distorted.

“Uh… Well, we got the cube.” Jesse held it up for Winston to inspect. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

_“That’s good, but you look worn out. Did something happen? Is Genji around?”_

“About that.” Jesse stashed the cube back in his pocket. “Excuse my language, but everything went to shit in there.”

“Genji and I entered together.” Hanzo butted in. “We went separate ways, and we haven’t seen him since. He isn’t answering any of our messages.” Hanzo noticed that Lúcio was giving him a rather suspicious look.

_“You left without him?”_

“We didn’t have any choice.” Jesse clarified. “We cleared the place out, but two minutes later a Talon ship arrived. We had to scoot before we got done in.” 

_“How troubling… We’ll have to organise an immediate recovery mission.”_ Winston decided. _“Did you see what kind of craft it was?”_

“Hm. Maybe a K-500?” Jesse suggested. Winston rubbed his chin again.

 _“Alright then. I’ll see you back at Gibraltar for the debriefing.”_ Winston gave the trio a grim look, and the hologram blinked out. Hanzo grunted in annoyance.

“That ship will be gone long before they arrive.” He muttered. Lúcio gave him another wary glance.

“You were with him just before he disappeared, right?” He asked, shuffling a little further away from him. Hanzo stared at him coldly. 

“Don’t blame me for this. I have no vendetta against Genji any longer.”

“Then why’re you here in Overwatch?” Jesse asked, eyes relaxed but strangely piercing. Hanzo felt anger bubble within him, but he just glowered and looked away. The question didn’t leave his mind, however.

Why was he?

 

They arrived to find most of Overwatch crowded by the landing pad. The doors opened with a hiss and the three walked out. Winston was the first to greet them. He was - quite unusually - wearing his Overwatch uniform; usually he wore a rather tatty lab coat. But not today. His face was grim as he took the datacube from Jesse. Hanzo stormed immediately past the two. He’d had a whole flight to think about the implications of the mission, and he could already feel the guilt bunching in his stomach. 

“What’s the consensus, doc?” He heard Jesse ask. Hanzo paused for a moment to listen. He could see the other Overwatch members watching them - Reinhardt, Lena, a few he didn’t even know the names of yet. Their eyes pierced into him. Accusing him.

“Hana, Angela and Jack are already on their way. Hana and Angela are going to sweep the warehouse, and Jack will try to follow the ship. But… I just don’t know, Jesse. It’s very sudden. I trust Genji to take care of himself, but the lack of communication is what worries me.” They kept talking, but Hanzo strode away. The gaggle of curious Overwatch agents parted like the red sea, clearly still wary of Hanzo. He didn’t care.

He knew the outcome of a situation like this. It was his neck on the line, and he had been the last one with Genji. He bristled at the very thought. If Genji didn’t resurface, it was only a matter of time until they turned on him. Maybe he shouldn’t have tried joining Overwatch at all.

And… If Genji was dead? Hanzo’s hands balled into fists. He forced the thought from his head. He was so full of conflicting emotions, swirling around in a deadly soup of hatred and anger. This was his fault. He’d allowed Genji to go off by himself. He was the one who had caused this. This was simply more evidence that he was truly worthless. 

His pace quickened. With every step his prosthetic legs tapped against the shiny floor, a baleful reminder of what he’d been through. A niggling thought attacked him - why are you so angry if you believe your brother is dead? He gritted his teeth and forced the thought from his mind.

As soon as he reached his room, he slammed his fist into the wall. The hard surface didn’t yield, but it made his fist hurt. He punched it again.

* * *

When his senses returned, Genji found himself in darkness. His limbs felt heavy; no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t move them an inch. He could feel that he was standing, but there was nothing holding him up. Had he been propped up like a statue? The muffled sound of rushing wind far away suggested he was in an aircraft. Suddenly the sound of footsteps caught his attention.

“Good morning, Sparrow.” He instantly recognised the altered, glitchy voice. It was the figure that had knocked him out earlier! He tried to jerk his arm up, but it refused to respond.

“Having fun? Sorry to interrupt your little sleep.” They chortled. Then there was the sound of something being unclipped. 

“Ah, that’s better.” The voice had changed - now it was a woman’s, with an accent Genji couldn’t immediately place. 

“You’re no fun like that. How about we have a look at you?” The woman suggested. There was the sound of keys being rapidly tapped -

Genji’s eyes were flooded with light. It was so sudden and intense that he immediately screwed them shut, only opening them once the painful sensation was gone. He could now see that he was in some sort of small computer lab. Purple cords slithered down like tendrils from flickering screens. The screens themselves pulsed with text and colour. 

What was more important, however, was the woman. She stood in front of Genji, inspecting him with a smug grin. Her long fingernails clicked gently as she tapped away on a nest of holographic hexagons. Although she wasn’t tall or overly muscular, the way she held herself suggested sinewy muscles hidden underneath black and purple garb. She turned away from her holographic screen to grin at Genji.

“I gave you back control of your respiratory system, too. Thought it’d be nice to have a little chat!” She said. Genji’s mouth became a hard line. The woman rolled her eyes.

“Be that way then. But don’t waste what little time I’m giving you; you’re not getting your body back for a while.” She swiped her hand and the hexagons disappeared.

“How about introductions! I know your name. Genji Shimada, formerly of the Shimada clan. Now you’re a part of Overwatch. Isn’t that sweet? My name is Sombra - but that doesn’t matter. What does is your coding.” She reached forward and knocked on Genji’s chest. He glared at her, still trying to regain ownership of his limbs.

“You’re a work of genius in there, but I’m sure you already know that. You’re running on a sub-quantum computer! It’s incredibly powerful - and now it’s mine!” She cooed. “It was almost too easy getting past your antivirus protection. You should really get that checked out, you know. All my little device had to do was latch onto your main cerebral transmitter, make your body think it was multiple attackers, flood your body with false signals, and then hijack the datastream just before you shut down for good! A DDoS attack on a person!” She cried with a laugh. “It feels almost too easy…”

“I assure you that you will not get away with this.” Genji replied coolly. He hoped he sounded more confident than he felt. Sombra simply raised an eyebrow.

“I already have, tin man.” She replied. Her hand swished up and the hexagons appeared again. She quickly tapped something into them. 

“Ah!” Genji yelped as his body sprung into action. His arm flew up in front of him, outstretched. Then the rest of his body started to move. He watched helplessly as he walked a few steps, and stopped to stand directly in front of Sombra. He was so close he could touch her. Or he could, if only he could claw back his autonomy. Sombra chuckled. 

“Oh, Reaper’s going to _love_ this.” She said. Then she motioned for Genji to follow her, and she began to walk out of the room. Genji followed her. He could feel fear blossoming in his stomach, but he forced it down. He had to keep watch for an opportunity to escape - there was no time for panic. 

The two walked down a metallic corridor. They were seemingly alone on the craft. Sombra grasped Genji’s hand and to his disgust he held it.

“We’ll be at your stop soon. Make sure to take care of yourself, okay?” She crooned. They stopped walking in front of a circular door. The door was emblazoned ‘EMERGENCY ESCAPE POD’. Genji found himself reaching for the red hatch.

“The next time I see you, I will kill you.” He promised coldly. He opened the door and stepped through.

“Don’t worry, you won’t be seeing me again.” Sombra replied. She waved at him as he closed the door. Genji felt a painful spasm - then suddenly he couldn’t control his mouth or eyes anymore. Every breath he took, every direction his eyes glanced was out of his control.

He was trapped in his own body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh spaghettios :0c my boy Gengu's in a world of trouble...


	3. Unknown Flying Object

Hanzo’s breath made puffs of dragon smoke as he breathed. The cold night air clung to his face, chilling his flesh uncomfortably. He ignored it.

_Thwack!_

His arrow smacked into the target. Not bad for going by starlight. He lowered his bow and walked over to retrieve the arrow. The training court was empty save for him, the other agents having retreated to their rooms long ago.

The day had been an unending flow of stress. Mere minutes after arriving, Winston had called them together for a debriefing. The whole time, Hanzo felt eyes boring into him. It was understandable. He’d been the last to see Genji, after all. But it still made resentment fester inside of him. A decade of running, of bringing bloodshed wherever he went - and now his choice to seek out, to reconcile with Genji, was already going astray.

He was a fool. Why had he come to this cursed organisation?

He plucked the arrow from the target and returned it to his quiver. He’d journeyed to the training courtyard to alleviate his almost intolerable maelstrom of emotions, but he’d accomplished nothing of the sort. His blood was still hot with frustration. The target was clearly old, and he considered gouging into it with an arrowhead - but what good would it do? He turned on his heel instead. He would make some tea, then go to sleep. He had no faith that tomorrow things would be better, but he craved the blissful ignorance of sleep.

He walked to the mess hall, accompanied only by the tapping of his feet. The sound was incessant on the watchpoint’s many chromey surfaces, and it was beginning to get on his nerves. When the reached the mess hall’s small kitchen, he flicked on the light. The kitchen was modern but a little cramped, with a plethora of devices to suit every agent’s needs. Hanzo made a beeline for the kettle, which was wedged between a jumbo-sized toaster and what looked suspiciously like an oil canister. He filled it with water and turned it on - then tensed as he heard a sound from outside. 

“Howdy, anyone in here?” His coiled muscles relaxed at the sound of Jesse’s voice. The door opened and Jesse walked in, his eyebrows raised. He seemed to be wearing normal garb for once - a white shirt and grey sweatpants. 

“Bit late to be hangin’ around a kitchen, don’t you think, Shimada-san?” He asked. 

“I could not sleep.” Hanzo replied. It wasn’t really a lie, anyway. “And please - just call me Hanzo. I do not associate myself with the Shimada clan any more.” 

“Whatever you say, Hanzo.” Jesse replied with a wink. “I couldn’t sleep either. This whole Genji business is stressing me out.”

Hanzo replied with a curt nod - but his mind was racing. Did Jesse think he was to blame? 

“I believe you have known Genji for a long time.” He said, watching Jesse critically. 

“Yeah, me n’ your brother were in Blackwatch together. He was mighty different back then -” Jesse caught himself, “- But, ah, yeah. We’re old friends.”

The kettle rumbled, then clicked off as it boiled.

“What’re you making? Green tea?”

“Yes. How did you know?” Hanzo asked. Jesse grinned.

“It’s all Genji will ever drink! Come winter or summer, he always has a cup of the stuff at every meal.” He replied. His smile faded. “Damn, I’m worried about him.” 

Hanzo sighed. “I… I am too.” There was something strangely calming about Jesse’s presence. The way he didn’t seem to judge Hanzo - or, at least, he was very good at hiding it if he did. He exuded vibes of - how to put it… Rustic hospitality. That was it. Despite his odd anachronistic demeanor, Jesse was the most amiable and approachable man Hanzo had ever met.

“Well, ain’t any good worrying about it.” Jesse said, pushing open the kitchen’s fridge. His head disappeared into the fridge, then retracted with a frown. “Damn, why do we never have any snacks?”

Hanzo didn’t know what spurred him. It was impulsive, perhaps driven by confused emotions. 

“Perhaps you would like some tea?” He said. Surely, any company was better than none. Jesse’s eyebrows raised a fraction, but then he smiled.

“Yeah, alright. Be a nice change from the dirt coffee Athena makes.” He replied. Hanzo smiled a little as he took two cups from the kitchen cupboard and poured water into them. The tea was steeped, and then the two silently held their warm mugs. Although they said nothing as they sipped, the silence was comfortable. The feeling was unusual to Hanzo. He wanted more of it. After a few moments, however, Jesse broke the silent bond. He put down his tea and looked earnestly at Hanzo.

“I don’t blame you for Genji’s disappearance.” He said. Hanzo stiffened.

“I don’t care whether you do or not. You will still not trust me either way.” He replied. Jesse cast him a dry look.

“I guess not.” He admitted. “I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive you for what you did to Genji those years ago. But hell, Genji put his trust in you. So I’ve at least gotta try to give you the benefit of the doubt.”

“Your compassion is misplaced.” Hanzo replied coldly. His angry thoughts crept back to him. This whole conversation had been pointless! Why had he momentarily fooled himself into thinking he could simply enjoy the company of a member of Overwatch? They still hated him secretly. He knew, he was used to it. He poured the rest of his tea down the sink and roughly jammed his mug in the dishwasher.

“Hey, I’m sorry. It’s a touchy subject, I shouldn’t’ve mentioned it.” Jesse looked concerned, but Hanzo paid him no heed. Forcing a stonily neutral expression on his face, he stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Jesse behind him, bewildered and still cradling his tea.

Hanzo retreated to the dark comfort of his room. He was never going to be able to work with these people as equals. It seemed like the shadow of Hanzo’s past was doomed to haunt him forever after all. Although he got into his bed, he simply lay there silently, brooding. 

He only discovered he’d drifted off to sleep when an electronic voice woke him up.

“Good morning, Hanzo Shimada.” Hanzo’s eyes flew open, his muscles tense and ready to bolt.

“You have no missions today.” It was Athena. He sighed and closed his eyes again, letting his head fall back down onto the pillow. Every morning was the same - he heard her voice, he panicked, he had to forcibly relax himself. It was a painful reminder of mornings spent being punished for his misdemeanors, dispensed by the cruel elders of the Shimada clan.

He forced himself out of the warm bed, and out into the cold watchpoint’s halls. The sound of agents waking up was all around him, so he made haste on his way to the showers.

Thankfully, he managed to have a shower without incident, and quickly retreated to the training ground before anybody could try to talk to him. He would have breakfast after everybody else had left. He marched through the watchpoint on his way to the training ground, collecting his quiver and bow on the way. He walked into the training area - and froze. Standing on one of the training ground’s many platforms was Jesse, lining up his revolver with a metal target.

_Bang!_

The target’s centre swung slightly on its hinge. Jesse’s head turned slightly, clearly having sensed Hanzo’s presence. Cursing himself for hanging around, Hanzo stepped out onto the platform. Jesse holstered his gun and waved at him. Behind him, the scenic ocean around watchpoint Gibraltar stretched out endlessly, carrying a biting wind. It whipped past Hanzo, ruffling his hair just as Jesse’s smile ruffled his emotions.

“Breakfast is being served.” Hanzo commented. “Are you not hungry?”

“Breakfast can wait.” Jesse replied. “I figured I needed some practice, and this morning I had an itchy trigger finger. Feeling the same?”

Hanzo didn’t believe Jesse’s excuse for a second. He’d come to see Hanzo again - probably to try and apologise. Well, there was nowhere else on the base Hanzo could go to be alone except his bedroom, and he would go insane if he stayed cooped up all day worrying about Genji. At least Jesse’s company was tolerable.

“Yes.” He said. “When I’m stressed, I find practicing calms me.”

“Well, it’s certainly paid off. You’re a crack shot. ‘Course, I dunno if you’re quite on my level.” Jesse’s eye glinted with humour. Hanzo’s eyebrow arched.

“Is that so?” He challenged. Jesse grinned, and turned back to the target. 

_Bang!_

The bullet ricocheted off the middle of the target. How did Jesse suffer through that noise all the time? Jesse glanced over at Hanzo, seemingly to gauge his reaction. Hanzo simply pulled an arrow from his quiver and gestured with his head for Jesse to give him space. He lined himself up with the target. The string was pulled taut. An easy shot.

_Thwack!_

Bullseye. Despite himself, Hanzo couldn’t help looking at Jesse smugly. 

“Damn.” Jesse whistled in admiration. “Hell of a sharp shooter, ain’t’cha?” Hanzo allowed himself a small grin, but made sure to look away to hide his amusement.

“It does not do well too…” He trailed off when something caught his eye. Above the ocean, nestled between the puffy clouds - was that an incoming aircraft?

“Hanzo? Everything alright?” Jesse took a step towards him. Hanzo slowly reached out an arm, motioning for him to stop. There was something suspicious about the ship, but it was too far away to figure out what. He squinted, trying to pick apart his uneasy feeling. Then his eyes widened.

“That’s a Talon ship!” He said in amazement. Jesse gawked up at the sky, holding his hat on his head.

“Hells bells, you’re right.” He muttered. What was one Talon ship doing, heading straight for the watchpoint? For a short moment, the two stood there, so confused by the ship that they couldn’t move.

Then they kicked into motion. Both of them started to run back out of the training room. Hanzo was a fair bit fitter than Jesse and he quickly outran him, headed straight for Winston’s office.

“I’ll warn everyone!” Jesse yelled, changing course and disappearing from Hanzo’s vision. Hanzo’s heart beat wildly, his mind running over the possibilities of the ship. Surely it knew Torbjörn’s turrets could shoot it out of the sky a mile away?

“Doctor Winston!” Hanzo slammed the door open, making Winston jump in his seat and nearly fall off.

“H-Hanzo! What on Earth are you doing?” Winston pulled himself back onto his seat.

“There’s a Talon ship approaching from the south!” He informed him. Winston’s eyebrows raised, the same thoughts clearly running through his mind as Hanzo’s a moment before.

“I’ll tell Torbjörn to put his turrets on red alert.” He replied, typing rapidly on the screen in front of him. After a second a camera clicked on, showing the ship’s descent. Hanzo scrutinised it closely. Something still felt off about the ship. It was flying far too fast and at too sharp of an angle - at that trajectory, it almost looked like it was going to…

“Don’t tell Torbjörn!” Hanzo suddenly yelled. Winston jumped again, giving Hanzo a pained look. 

“Why not?” He asked, bewildered. Hanzo bit his lip. If he was wrong about this, he doubted his reputation could ever be regained. But the nagging feeling in his gut was too strong to ignore.

“From it’s angle, it’s coming in for a landing. I don’t think there’s a Talon agent aboard that plane.” He replied. Winston looked unconvinced - but sighed.

“I don’t like this… But alright.” He pressed a button on his holographic keypad. “Torbjörn? Turn off the turrets.”

“Are you sure? There’s a ship about to be in range.”

“I know.” There was a moment’s silence. Then Athena burst to life in a cacophony of alerts and flashing lights.

“Unknown aircraft arriving in airspace.” She repeated over and over again. Hanzo locked eyes with Winston - there was worry reflected in his golden eyes. Then he reached down to the loudspeaker button again.

“Attention all agents, get inside. We have a code 6600.” Winston continued speaking, but Hanzo didn’t hear him. He was already running out of the room, the feeling in his gut spurring him faster than he had ever run before. When he arrived at the main gates, Lena and Hana were already there, Hana in her gargantuan mech. Its shield was firmly aimed towards the closed door. Somewhere behind them, a siren was blaring.

“Hanzo, what’s going on?!” Lena asked, ducking under Hana’s mech to reach him. “Does this have to do with yesterday’s mission?” 

“A code 6600 is an incoming ship, right?” Hana’s voice asked, audibly synthesised by her mech. The three didn’t have time to continue their conversation. As soon as Hana finished her sentence, the sound of rumbling crept into the air. It was steadily getting louder. 

“Get down!” Lena yelled. She and Hanzo dropped like sacks, slamming to the ground just as a horrendous noise split through the air. The crash of a heavy object hitting earth, the squeal of metal sliding on metal, the rumble of huge pieces of the watchpoint being shaken. Hanzo could feel the crash tremble through the ground beneath him. Finally the awful noise lessened, fading to occasional creaks and the ever present sirens. Hana’s mech took a hesitant step towards the door.

“It crashed outside…” She said warily. Clearly curiosity got the better of her, however, because she strode towards the door.

“Hana, love, be careful!” Lena warned, but the door was already hissing open. She had no choice but to clamber to her feet, and Hanzo followed her out after Hana. Outside, the watchpoint’s courtyard had been scarred. The satellite monitoring building - the same one that Hanzo had meditated upon countless times - was now gouged by a smoking ship, looking like an obsidian shard spiking out of the building. 

“What the hell?” Lena breathed. A sheet of metal shifted and she jumped. “There’s someone in there!”

Despite himself, Hanzo took a step forward. The smouldering wreck was so impossible, so confusing. More metal shifted on the wreck, and a piece fell to the ground with a clang. Then - as if in slow motion - a body slipped out, falling from the ship as gracefully as a diving Hawk. Hanzo watched wide-eyed as the figure hit the ground.

It was Genji. And he wasn’t moving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohohohohohoho *McHanzo and brotherly drama intensifies*


End file.
